Love on a Desert Island
by chocolatequeen
Summary: After leaving Scotland, the Doctor takes Rose to a alien paradise. There's something special he wants to show her, but, as usual, things don't quite go according to plan...
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Love on a Desert Island was the title of the very first romance story I wrote when I was 12. This story bears little resemblance to that one, but since it was my teacher's comments that inspired me to write romance, it felt like a fitting homage.

Rose tilted her face back, letting the alien tropical sun warm her skin. Sea spray splashed arms left bare by her aquamarine sundress, and she laughed and shook off the droplets of water.

"Are you trying to get me soaked?" she chided the Doctor, who sat at the wheel of their hired motorboat.

"Just trying to give you the full island experience," he teased, turning into a swell so they would ride over the next wave instead of getting splashed. "What do you think so far?"

Rose looked around at the sparkling waters. When he'd told her over breakfast that he had a surprise planned, she hadn't imagined anything like this.

"Well, it's certainly different from where we were yesterday. From Scotland to an alien paradise…"

"The benefit of a ship that can go anywhere."

"That reminds me—why didn't we just take the TARDIS to this island you want to show me?"

He heaved a dramatic sigh, then grinned at her when she giggled. "Full island experience," he reminded her.

"Oh, of course."

Rose reached into the dimensionally transcendent beach bag sitting between them and pulled out a bottle of water. She scanned the horizon as she drank, pausing when she spotted dark clouds on their left.

"Doctor? What's that?"

His whole body stiffened when he spotted the fast moving clouds she indicated, and he swore in Gallifreyan. "We should have been able to make it to Solinsul before the squall hit," he muttered.

He shifted gears, and the boat sped up, but the storm still gained. The previously calm ocean turned choppy, and instead of just getting slightly damp from sea spray, Rose's whole top was soaked from waves sloshing over the edge of the boat.

Finally, the Doctor growled out another curse and changed their course. "There's an uninhabited island closer by," he told her. "I don't think we could make it to Solinsul safely, but we should be able to find shelter on the desert island until someone comes looking for us."

"What can I do?" Rose asked.

He barely spared a glance at her, but she understood. "Just hold on, and make sure your life jacket is buckled tight."

Rose tugged at the straps on the floatation device, then reached out and tightened his own. A curt nod was the only thanks she got, and she settled back into her own seat and grabbed onto the boat as the sea became rougher.

Five tense minutes passed before she spotted something that might be a speck of land. The speck resolved into a palm tree lined beach, but when she looked behind them, the storm clouds were closer, too. She could see the air moving around the dark, forbidding shapes, and then the first fat raindrop hit her cheek.

A muscle in the Doctor's jaw twitched as he ground his teeth together. Another raindrop hit, then another, and then the deluge let loose. They were almost to the island, but could they make it before their boat sank beneath the waves?

The trees grew bigger and finally they were _right there_. Rose braced herself to jump when the Doctor shouted the order, but then a loud, grating noise came from beneath the boat.

"End of the line," the Doctor said. "We'll have to wade to shore." He grabbed the bag and helped her over the side of the boat, then climbed out after her.

Soaked from the rain, jumping into the warm, tropical water was actually a relief. Rose clutched tight to the Doctor's hand and pushed her way through the crashing waves up to the beach. The Doctor didn't let go and didn't stop when they left the water, instead pulling her with him as he ran for the trees.

"We'll at least have a little shelter from the rain," he shouted over the thunderous storm.

Rose was shivering by the time they reached the trees. "Come here." The Doctor got them both out of their life vests, then shrugged his arms out of his coat and pulled Rose close. He grabbed the coat and wrapped it around them both, offering what warmth he could. She cuddled back against him, and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Better?"

He felt her shiver when his breath hit her skin, and he wondered what she would do if he turned her head just slightly and kissed her. She tilted her head back, causing his nose to brush against her temple, and the temptation was almost too great to resist.

But the tropical rain was a constant reminder of where they were, and where they were reminded him of why he'd brought her there. He pulled back with an effort, though he couldn't resist dropping a soft kiss on top of her head.

Her sigh when she relaxed into him sounded disappointed. _Oh, just wait till tonight, Rose Tyler,_ the Doctor promised her silently.

The sound of the rain hitting the palm fronds above them gradually softened into a soft patter. The tropical squall was moving on as quickly as it had come up. He could already see the sun on the horizon.

Rose stirred against him, and he let her go. She crept out of the tree cover cautiously, then tipped her head back and let the soft raindrops hit her.

"Tastes almost like cherry," she said a moment later.

"Mmm," he agreed. "The water here has a slight flavour, thanks to the atmospheric makeup. Storms stir it up, so it's more noticeable in rainwater." In fact, he should have expected a squall today, since the electrical charge in storm clouds created the right conditions for the special sunset he'd brought her there in the first place.

The beach was almost in full sun again, and he was just about to recommend they move that direction so they could dry off when Rose made a noise that was half laughter, half a gasp of surprise.

"What is it?" he asked her.

She stretched her arms out to her sides and turned slowly. "It's only raining on half of me," she told him, wiggling the fingers of her right hand, where raindrops were still pattering softly.

The Doctor watched the sun slowly pass over her, entranced once again by the wonder on her face. How could one human show so much zest for life?

"That happens with storms like this that pass so quickly. Here one minute, gone the next—and in that moment when they pass over you, sometimes you can experience both at once."

She grinned. "There's something new every day with you, Doctor."

He nodded. "And for your next something new, we ought to employ a few survival skills. While I'd like to believe rescuers will find us before night, we should be prepared to camp out here."

Rose's eyes widened when the Doctor not only shrugged his coat off, but then proceeded to remove his suit jacket and tie. By the time he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled his shirt sleeves up, she knew her mouth was hanging open. _Get a grip_ , she chided herself as she rummaged through their thankfully waterproof beach bag for her shorts. _You've seen him in pyjamas at home._

Yes, but they weren't _at home_ right now, and that was what made it so unusual. Still, she managed not to stare at his bare forearms long enough to change out of her dress and pull her shorts on over her bikini. And unless she was mistaken, the Doctor's ears were a little red—so at least she wasn't the only one distracted by the sudden reveal of skin previously covered.

"Well, let's get started," Rose told him. "If we're going to be here overnight, I'd like some kind of shelter."

"Right you are, Rose Tyler! Now, I think we'll find what we need over here…"

Using the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor cut leafy branches from the trees further inland. Rose dragged them out to the beach, and within an hour, they were putting together a rudimentary tiki hut. Tall branches supported a roof of palm fronds and the fuller branches became the walls. The Doctor even used a special setting on the sonic to make sure there weren't any bugs in the leaves that might drop onto them while they were sleeping.

The sun was high in the sky when they were finished. "Anything else?" Rose asked. "Or can we lay out in the sun for a while?" She smiled, letting her tongue peek out between her teeth. "I'd like to enjoy some of my day at the beach."

The Doctor blinked, then looked back at her. "What? Oh, quite right Rose!"

Rose shook her head when he took something from the bag and disappeared into their tiki hut. The back of his neck was completely red. She knew he'd been staring at her mouth just then—and that was the second time today she'd thought maybe he'd kiss her, only to have him pull back.

She pulled the beach blanket out of the bag and shook it out, then took her shorts off and laid down, soaking in the sun. Behind her sunglasses, her eyes drifted shut, but she still felt the shift in the air when the Doctor sat down beside her.

"You're sure I don't need to worry about getting sunburnt?" she asked without opening her eyes.

"Yep!" he chirped.

She turned her head to look at him, wanting to see him stretched out, prepared to sit on the beach completely dressed.

Except he wasn't. He'd changed into dark blue swim trunks, and he was bare chested. Rose blinked, but the image didn't change. And this _was_ more of his skin than she'd ever seen before, at home or not.

Her fingers twitched, aching to touch him, and she glanced around for something to distract her. He'd had two chances to kiss her today and he'd resisted both times, so she wouldn't embarrass herself by throwing herself at someone who didn't want her.

Finally, she settled on the book he was reading. It was a paperback romance, hot of the presses—she could still smell the cheap ink and paper the publishers used for trashy romance novels.

She couldn't help noticing the woman on the cover was blonde, though her bikini was red while Rose's was white. She was caught in a passionate embrace by the stereotypical tall, dark, and handsome hero, and emblazoned over them, the tagline read, "Love on a desert island."

Her laughter pulled the Doctor's eyes from his book. "What?"

"Love on a desert island? This is your holiday reading, Doctor?"

He sniffed and pushed his sunglasses back up on his nose. "Well, what else am I supposed to read when I'm on a desert island?"

"I just never imagined you read trashy romance novels, Doctor."

He raised an eyebrow. "Where do you think all the books you've been reading came from? The TARDIS didn't just generate three full shelves of Mills & Boon when you came on board."

Rose wondered why she was even surprised. None of the blokes she knew had ever appreciated romance novels, but when had the Doctor ever been like any other bloke she knew? She plucked the novel from his hands and jumped to her feet.

"What are you…"

"Race you to the water!" she shouted and took off before he even stood up.


	2. Chapter 2

After dinner, Rose cleaned up what remained of the meal while the Doctor shook the sand off of the beach blanket and took it to the tiny shelter he and Rose would share for the night. He gulped when he realised exactly how tiny the tiki hut was—the blanket covered the sandy floor almost completely.

Being marooned on the island hadn't been part of his plan. Neither was sharing a bed, and the forced intimacy sent a wave of doubts and insecurities flooding through him.

"Maybe this isn't the right moment after all," he muttered. "I could always wait, and then tomorrow when we're back at the TARDIS, I could find another night and take us to Solinsul."

The nebulous possibilities in the timelines swirled around him and solidified into two separate paths, and the Doctor knew tonight was his one chance to show Rose the _ciamanto ciel._

He took a deep breath and returned to the beach. The sun was only a few inches above the horizon, and the line where the water met the sky was already turning pink.

Rose stood at the water's edge, close enough for the waves to lap around her ankles. She'd put her sundress back on earlier, and the Doctor took a moment to drink in the picture of her dressed in turquoise, framed by the cerulean sky.

"You took your time," she commented when he approached her. "I thought you'd miss the sunset."

The Doctor took her hand. "Miss the whole reason I brought you here, Rose Tyler?" She sent him a surprised look, and he grinned. "Never. Now come on, I think we'd get a better view of the sunset if we walked up to the point we found earlier."

The Doctor tugged on her hand, and Rose followed after him, mulling over his words. He hadn't given any indication before that he'd chosen this planet for a particular reason. She'd figured he just thought it was time for a break. It was almost impossible to her mind that the Doctor had purposely brought her to an alien planet so he could show her a tropical sunset.

 _Maybe he doesn't realise how romantic that sounds._ She stole a glance at him and caught him doing the same thing. Her breath caught at the soft look in his eyes, and she had to clear her throat before she could speak.

"So, why exactly did you want to bring me here?" she asked.

The Doctor shook his head, but her disappointment was mitigated when he said, "Not yet. I've got this all planned out. Let's get to where we can watch the sunset first, and then I'll tell you."

They reached the point he'd mentioned, and Rose realised he'd been right. From here, they had a full panoramic view of the setting sun as it painted the sky in shades of pink, orange and red. The sky cast a dappled reflection on the waves below, leaving the entire landscape awash in colour.

"S'beautiful, Doctor," Rose breathed.

They watched the sun slid beneath the horizon, leaving a sky in shades of mauve and violet. "Look," the Doctor whispered, pointing at the sky.

In the darkest part of the sky, the first stars were already visible. Slowly, wispy tendrils of clouds moved over the dark purple backdrop, almost looking like they were dancing across the sky.

"From the storm earlier," he explained. "On certain nights, when the conditions are just right, noctilucent clouds will form. And then…"

Rose almost didn't notice at first, when the sky began to turn colours. But gradually, the dying rays of the setting sun reflected back up to the unique clouds, splashing vibrant colours across the sky.

"It's looks like the Northern Lights," Rose said, keeping her voice quiet.

The Doctor opened his mouth to tell her the name and the local legend, but his fears reared up at the last moment. What if she really didn't want him, romantically? He still had time to back out without making a declaration.

He cleared his throat. He could always just ask…

When he squeezed her hand, Rose looked up at him. "How long are you going to stay with me?" he asked her.

She smiled and scooted a step closer. "Forever," she said serenely.

His hearts sped up—she'd said the word he longed for without even knowing the legend—but he had to double-check. "Are you sure?" He swallowed hard. "You might decide someday that you want to settle down on Earth. Most of my companions do."

Rose filed away the information that he'd had other companions over the years, then focused on the fear in his voice. "I'm not any of your other companions," she told him. "I'm Rose, and I know that I'll never want to leave you or this life behind. I told you—travelling with you, I love it."

She held her breath; that had been as good as a declaration the first time she'd said it, and in response to his questions, it _was_ a declaration.

 _How long are you going to stay with me?_

Rose's eyes widened. He'd been _asking_ for a declaration.

She turned towards the Doctor and met his gaze steadily. The anxiety she saw in his eyes faded, replaced with hope and a hint of cheeky confidence.

Feeling a bit daring, Rose brought his hand to her lips and brushed a kiss over his fingers. She didn't look away from him as she completed the action, and despite his "superior biology," she was positive she saw his breath hitch.

When he stepped closer and ran his free hand through her hair, it was her breathing that stuttered. "Is this all right?" the Doctor murmured as he leaned closer.

Rose let go of his hand to grab his shoulder instead, pulling him even closer. "Oh, yes," she whispered, letting her breath whisper over his lips.

The Doctor sighed and pressed his lips to Rose's. Her human warmth struck him immediately, then he felt how soft her lips were, and the little puff of air that escaped her as she breathed.

Her plump bottom lip had been tempting him for weeks, and he sandwiched it between his own. He sucked on it lightly, pulling a sigh from Rose. Encouraged by her reaction, he swiped his tongue over her lip, and she shifted closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and sinking a hand into his hair.

"Rose," he groaned when she tugged gently on his hair. He felt her smile against his lips, and then she scraped her teeth over his lower lip, sending a jolt of pleasure through him.

In retaliation, he nipped at her lip, then swept his tongue into her mouth when she opened beneath him. He caught her low moan when he brushed his tongue against hers, and he knew immediately that he would never get enough of that soft sound of pleasure.

He didn't ever want to stop kissing Rose, but the part of his brain not fully occupied with how she felt in his arms reminded him that humans didn't have respiratory bypass. He pulled back, releasing her with a slight pop. She looked up at him with a slightly dazed expression in her eyes, and he couldn't resist rubbing his thumb over her lip, then ducking back down for another quick kiss.

To his surprise, Rose pulled away after only a moment. "What is it, Rose?"

Rose took a deep breath and looked up at him. "Is this permanent?" she asked, hardly able to believe she was asking the question. "Only, I don't think I can do this if we're just going to go back to how things were when we get to the TARDIS tomorrow."

The Doctor rested his hands on her hips and smiled down at her. "There is no going back from this, Rose. Why do you think I waited so long?"

"Really?" she squeaked.

He nodded. "I admit I'm a little slow when it comes to relationships, but even I know it wouldn't be fair to leave you unsure of where we stand."

He pressed his forehead to hers and Rose nearly died at the sweet intimacy.

"I've wanted to kiss you for months," he added, "but I wasn't sure I was ready."

"And… now you are?"

"Oh, yes." He tugged on his ear. "I might need to take things more slowly than you're used to," he cautioned, "but I won't pull back."

"That's fine," she assured him. "As long as we keep moving forward, I don't care how fast we go."

oOoOoOoOo

They both kept their word. The Doctor didn't pull back from Rose, even though the universe seemed determined over the next few months to remind him that he would lose her one day. At the same time, Sarah Jane's obvious hurt at being left behind only reinforced the Doctor's decision not to hurt Rose in that way.

Rose was none too pleased when he agreed to let Mickey travel with them after that. She accused him of putting a barrier between them, which he denied vehemently.

"What was I supposed to say when he asked if he could come?" he countered. "We'd just invited Sarah Jane to come along, so I couldn't exactly say we didn't want company."

He didn't tell her that he'd felt timelines tugging at him when Mickey had asked to join them. Time had something in store for Mickey Smith, something he couldn't do on Earth. Leaving him behind in the parallel universe was hard on Rose, but they both knew it was where he needed to be.

And Rose didn't push for more intimacy than the Doctor was ready for. It wasn't easy letting him set the pace when his hot kisses and wandering hands left her aching for more, but the pleasure of knowing he was comfortable with where they were made it worth it.

She never imagined their first time would be on an impossible planet orbiting a black hole. There was desperation in his movements as he worshipped her with his mouth and his hands, but the tenderness in his eyes when he joined them completely drove all thoughts of the missing TARDIS from her mind.

Afterwards, when they were curled up together, basking in the afterglow, Rose buried words of love beneath tender caresses. _You'll find her_ , she told him as she ran her fingers through his hair. _I believe in you._

oOoOoOoOo

After they'd said their goodbyes and Rose had thanked Zach and Danny for their help, the Doctor moved to turn the radio off. He was desperate to just hold Rose until sometime in the next century—and even then, he'd defy Time to take her from him.

"Hang on though, Doctor. You never really said," Ida broke in. "You two—who are you?"

The Doctor looked down into his lover's soft, brown eyes. "Oh, the stuff of legend," he said, the words meant for Rose more than Ida.

Then he clicked the radio off and wrapped his arms around Rose. "Rose Tyler," he breathed, trying to put everything he was feeling into her name.

She looped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. "I told you we'd get home."

The Doctor felt the familiar syncopated rhythm of one of his hearts skipping a beat because of Rose Tyler. _Does she have any idea what it does to me when she calls the TARDIS home?_

Words the Doctor had been holding back for months were suddenly on the tip of his tongue, ready to spring from his lips whether he thought he was ready or not. They'd come so close to losing each other. There were so many points where events could have taken a different turn, leaving him alone without Rose for the rest of his lives. It was time to stop wasting time and tell her how he felt.

He pressed a soft kiss to Rose's forehead, then let go of her and walked over to the console. "Can I take you for a walk on the beach?" he asked her as he set the coordinates.

"That'd be nice," she agreed.

"Go change then. It should be warm, if I do this right."

He double-checked the coordinates after Rose disappeared into the corridor, then threw the dematerialisation lever. While they were in flight, he took off his tie and undid the top two buttons on his shirt, as well as rolling up his sleeves. Then he sat down on the jump seat, took off his shoes and socks, and rolled his trousers up to mid-calf.

Rose still hadn't returned, so he checked the monitor, smiling when he saw they'd landed exactly when he'd wanted to. He took a deep breath and pushed the TARDIS doors open, closing his eyes when the sea breeze wafted into the ship.

"Smells lovely," Rose said quietly as she slipped her hand into his.

The Doctor smiled, but didn't say anything as he led her out onto the sand. He looked over at her when they reached the water's edge and felt his mouth hang open slightly. She'd put on a white halter top and scandalously short shorts that showed off her long, toned legs to perfection.

He swallowed hard, then forced himself to look back at her face. Her tongue was poking out in her cheeky little smile, and the Doctor twined his fingers in her hair and tilted her head back so he could kiss her.

For a moment, he was lost in the sensations of the water lapping at his feet, the breeze on his face, and Rose in his arms. Then he saw the shifting colours of the sky through his closed lids and he remembered that he'd brought Rose here for a reason—reasons that did not include making love to her on the beach.

He pulled back and looked down at her kiss-swollen lips. _Well, at least not just making love to her on the beach,_ he amended. That idea was suddenly very appealing, after he told her the secret he'd kept for three months.

He turned her so she was facing the water, then stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "We can get to that later," he whispered in her ear, delighting in the way she shivered in his embrace. "But first, let's watch the sunset."

She leaned back against his chest and twined her hands around his. When the noctilucent clouds appeared, he felt her gasp before he heard it.

"We're here again." She looked up at him over her shoulder, and he couldn't resist brushing a soft kiss over her lips.

"I brought you here for a reason all those months ago," he told her. "Do you remember what this sunset is called?"

She furrowed her brow. "Cia… something."

" _Ciamanto ciel._ "

Rose turned in his arms. "You never told me what that means."

The Doctor took a deep breath; it was time. "In English?" He rested his hands on her hips. "The sky of eternal love."

Her mouth dropped open slightly.

"They say that if a couple shares their first kiss under this sky, they'll be together forever."

He lifted a shaking hand to her face and ran his fingers through her hair. When Rose leaned into the caress automatically, some broken piece inside him was remade.

"Rose Tyler… I love you."

She gasped and tears sprang into her eyes. "I love you too, Doctor, so much."

The Doctor cradled her face between his hands and used his thumbs to brush away her tears. "How long are you going to stay with me?" he asked, for the second time.

"Forever," she swore. "Doctor, I'm never going to leave you."

"And I will always come for you," he pledged. "No matter what, I will never let you go."

As he leaned down to kiss Rose, the Doctor felt Time argue, even as their timelines twisted together. He knew their vows would be challenged. Their bold declarations had tempted fate, and they would face obstacles they couldn't even imagine.

He also knew that no matter what the universe threw at them, they would win. After all, this was true love—you think this happens every day?

 **AN:** Yes, of course the last line is a paraphrase from _The Princess Bride_.

And you might have noticed this is slightly open-ended. I have a Doomsday reunion fic planned for next year, and this is the prequel.


End file.
